Tennessee Campground Raises Controversy

A few Roane County residents have expressed concern that a proposed resort and campground near Kingston, Tenn., will be a gay community.
But that’s not the case, said the Ohio man who has proposed the campground on more than 60 acres along the Clinch River, according to The Oak Ridger, Oak Ridge, Tenn.
“I think my website has confused them,” said Gary Foster, a retired General Motors quality control specialist.
“What I was trying to get across is everyone will be welcome there.”
The website for the proposed campground, called Rosebud Lodge, has been marketed in part to gays, lesbians and bi-sexuals, but Foster said he cannot discriminate between people.
“It’s a campground that will represent anyone,” he said.
He cited the Twin Oaks Campground in Piedmont, N.C., as a model of the type of project he’d like to build.
As proposed, Rosebud Lodge would be for adults 18 and older and would include a lodge, guest house, bed-and-breakfast facilities and camping sites.
A horse camp could be added later.
“It’s not a nudist camp or anything like that,” said Foster, a lifelong camper who has spent many hours in the Great Smoky Mountains.
Rates at Rosebud Lodge could vary from $12.50 a night for a camping site to $200 a night for a room with amenities like a private deck and hot tub.
Foster, who lives in Kettering, Ohio, would not disclose how much he plans to invest in Rosebud Lodge.
His project hinges on whether Roane County officials rezone the property. They could consider the rezoning in two meetings, one later this month and another in June, Foster said.
If the project is approved, Foster said he will welcome adult church groups or adult clubs like AMVETS.
He also plans to market the resort and campground to retirees and others who want a temporary reprieve from work, children, family and neighbors, among other things.